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Originally Posted by summersm343
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At least one of three Chilean technology companies visiting as part of a larger delegation last week is close to opening a U.S. headquarters in the Philadelphia region, according to Benjamin Leavenworth, board member of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce and Honorary Consul General of Chile to Philadelphia.
Leavenworth declined to identify the company before a potential deal was in place but said the trio of firms are members of a larger coalition of Chilean tech companies that could espouse the virtues of Philadelphia when returning home.
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The view of Santiago, Chile from Cerro San Cristobal.
alexmillos
“They are learning great things about Philadelphia,” Leavenworth said. “That it is one day’s drive from 70 percent of the U.S. population and costs are about half that of Boston and New York with access to tremendous research institutions and universities.”
The visit from the technology companies was part of the largest-ever delegation of top Chilean officials to the United States as part of the country’s inaugural Chile Week USA — a collaboration of political and business leaders from Chile’s public and private sectors who spent five days in Philadelphia, Miami and New York City.
The three days in Philadelphia included the 19th Annual “Friend of Chile” Awards Luncheon co-hosted by the Chilean and American, and Greater Philadelphia Chambers of Commerce, as well as a seminar titled “The Chilean Economic Export Miracle” held at Drexel University, discussing the important role the international trade of organic fruits, vegetables and other produce has specifically on the Port of Philadelphia. Juan Gabriel Valdés, Chile’s ambassador to the U.S., led the delegation.
For the better part of four decades, the Port of Philadelphia has been a major gateway to provide American and Canadian consumers and businesses with Chilean products, which comprised about a quarter of all goods entering the port last year.
Philadelphia’s port is the number one importer of Chilean fruit. Part of the reason is that the city is within a day’s drive to 70 percent of the U.S. consumer market and it has developed the refrigeration facilities to handle it.
“You can also get the produce off the boat faster because there isn’t as much congestion as there is in New York and other places,” said Lauren Swartz, director of international business investment for the Commerce Department. “So it can be more nimble.”
Chile is the world’s largest exporter of blueberries, fresh grapes, plums, prunes, dried apples, trout, and Pacific salmon, and the second largest supplier of frozen raspberries, frozen turkey, shelled hazelnuts, and frozen jack mackerel.
But Leavenworth said Chile, which has the strongest economy in Latin America, is trying to present itself as a country with more to offer than fresh produce.
“What’s exciting is that now we are seeing the emergence of Chile 2.0,” he said. “It has free trade agreements with 65 percent of the world’s population. But it’s more that agro. Now we are talking about tech, science and services.”
Philadelphia business and political leaders are trying to present the city as a good place to do business on an international platform.
A six-day trade and investment mission to Europe last month led by the city’s Commerce Department ended with representatives from five European companies planning to scout Philadelphia for possible expansion. Local officials are considering incorporating Germany’s workforce development model after getting more information about it.
Four Israel-affiliated companies set up operations in Philadelphia over the past 18 months.
Jeff Blumenthal covers banking, insurance and law.
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